Syntagma metro station ordered closed for new Koufodinas rally

Police in Athens ordered the closure of the downtown Syntagma metro station at 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Trains will be allowed to pass through the station but cannot stop to let passengers on or off.

The station is being closed for security reasons as a protest rally is being planned in front of Parliament later in the evening to express support for convicted terrorist Dimitris Koufodinas, whose health is failing after being on hunger strike for more than 50 days.

The rally, which is the second of its kind in as many days, is also expected to cause traffic jams in the city center.